FDA initially approved ketamine as a painkiller, but many health centers are progressively using it to treat mental disorders, such as anxiety disorders, treatment-resistant depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The reason behind its growth in treating mental disorders is due to its effectiveness and fast action with very few side effects.
Because of the gaps in modern treatment, ketamine is dominating as a more promising drug in the treatment of anxiety disorders, such as PTSD. Reflecting how widespread PTSD is, ketamine can produce a significant change for many patients who struggle with this debilitating condition.
Ketamine Is Effective and Safe With Immediate Results
Ketamine is a safe and effective drug for various mental disorders, including chronic pain. Health professionals have used it for some years, and it has a proven record of safety.
More recently, researchers have seen its success, and now it needs to be part of anxiety treatment. The main reason is due to its success in treating related conditions such as depression and mood disorders.
The small doses and the processes required for its administration while treating various mental health conditions differ significantly from the methods and other drugs used in hospitals.
Effects of Modern Medicines Used to Treat Anxiety
Experiencing occasional anxiety is normal, but people struggling with anxiety disorders have extreme, persistent fear or worry about their daily activities. Anxiety disorders keep people from enjoying a healthy life, and constant worry can be overwhelming and disabling. Anxious people avoid events or places that remind them of the feelings that triggered their anxiety.
Due to problems and common symptoms associated with anxiety, health providers have been prescribing different drugs to treat anxiety disorders and manage symptoms related to it.
The types of medications used include traditional anxiety drugs such as benzodiazepines (usually prescribed for short-term use). Newer alternatives include SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) recommended for long-term anxiety treatment. Other common medications are tricyclic antidepressants, and SNRI (Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor).
These drugs can offer temporary relief, but more often associated with side effects, significant consequences, and safety concerns. Others like benzodiazepines are very addictive and difficult to stop using them without suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms.
Additionally, some of these drugs do not treat anxiety disorders but control their symptoms. Besides, researchers have raised many questions about the long-term use of these medicines.
For instance, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), benzodiazepines lose their curative anti-anxiety results after four to six months of regular use.
Additionally, recent studies published in JAMA Psychiatry found that health providers have overestimated the effectiveness of SSRIs in treating anxiety disorders, and in some cases, it is worse than placebo.
Furthermore, patients have difficulties when they need to stop using anxiety medications due to severe withdrawal symptoms, including relapse anxiety which could be worse than the original anxiety problem.
Also, patients who use these anxiety drugs may fail to respond well to treatment, forcing them to try various combinations until they find one that works best.
Ketamine Discovery Provides Hope as Part of Anxiety Treatment
Fortunately, the latest discovery of ketamine, commonly abused as a party drug, has shown a significant response in treating anxiety disorders. The primary procedure used by health providers to treat anxiety is known as ketamine infusion therapy.
Ketamine therapy procedure has also shown remarkable results to patients struggling with depression, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder apart from treating anxiety disorders.
For patients who suffer from mild to severe anxiety, they may find it challenging to deal with daily life stressors. They may also fail to respond well to standard therapies, such as counselling and the use of sedatives.
However, with the introduction of ketamine infusion therapy, patients experience a calming effect on the nervous system and quick relief within hours.
Ketamine comprehensive benefits with its fast action and fewer side effects imply that health providers should include it as part of anxiety treatment medication. While other psychiatric drugs take more than a few weeks to start showing significant results in the body, ketamine results are immediate within hours.
Its quick response and other benefits indicate why it should be an exceptional part of anxiety treatment and only qualified professional should supervise its dose on patients
Ketamine Infusion Therapy
Many clinics use intravenous ketamine therapy to treat patients with anxiety since it works quickly with fewer side effects. Unlike prescription drugs which can take weeks or months to work and involve continuous monitoring to ensure the right dosage, ketamine infusion requires short schedule administration until symptoms disappear.
Many patients usually get relief from symptoms in just a few days after going through the second or third infusion process. Patients receiving ketamine therapy to treat anxiety can lower or eliminate dependency on prescription medication to control their symptoms. They may also have more available energy to adjust to lifestyle changes to keep anxiety away.
Although more research is still required to prove the long-term effectiveness of ketamine, most patients who have used ketamine for anxiety treatment have admired it due to its fast action, strength, and usefulness.
However, there are two urgent warnings about ketamine that anyone using it should consider.
First, excess use of ketamine can trigger anxiety instead of reducing it. This case happens, mainly if a patient uses ketamine illegally without being monitored by a trained medical professional. Only licensed mental or physical health providers are capable of knowing the right doses needed for the optimum function of ketamine to control anxiety.
Second, similar to other prescribed medicines with mind-changing effects, ketamine can become psychologically and physically addictive. Therefore patients with a history of substance abuse should most likely never be given ketamine treatment.
Currently, ketamine infusion therapy is an excellent potential remedy for anxiety disorders, with the ability to reduce its symptoms quickly in a sustainable way. Also, many upcoming clinics and treatment services are opting to offer ketamine treatment for anxiety.
